Corporate Innovation, Startup Pitch and Networking Buffet by Italian Trade Agency
Tokyo AI and the Italian Trade Agency host a session to examine how cross-border startups can accelerate innovation paths and extend internal R&D capacity in Japan. The program outlines how major enterprises design and execute collaboration frameworks, with direct input from Fujitsu Launchpad and KDDI’s Open Innovation Fund. Six Italian deep-tech startups in cybersecurity, sustainability, healthcare AI and advanced materials present work for potential co-creation and corporate innovation in the Japanese context. The session concludes with a networking buffet for targeted discussions on pilot design, investment paths and strategic partnership formation.
Doors Open & Coffee Break
15:00–15:30
Registration and networking for corporate innovation teams
Session: Co-Creation Between Startups and Large Corporations in Japan
15:30–16:30
Keynote Speakers
15:30–16:00 | Javier Mata — Fujitsu Launchpad
Insights on how corporate venture studios can effectively bridge the gap between large enterprises and startups, transforming early-stage ideas into scalable businesses with corporate backing.
Fujitsu Launchpad is a Tokyo-based venture studio which co-creates ventures with startups, enterprises and Fujitsu to shape the future of IT. We act as both a strategic co-builder and investor, providing hands-on expertise from day zero to help founders and corporate partners go further, faster.
We incubate ventures across diverse domains, including vertical SaaS and AI agents, frontier technologies and enterprise transformation. As a core team, we have collectively managed or overseen >$500M in startup investments and scaled startups to 10M+ users. Uniting startup speed and efficiency with corporate scale and influence, we unlock transformative impact
16:00–16:30 | Kaz Shimizu — KDDI Corporation
An operator's perspective on what makes startup-corporate partnerships succeed in Japan, from KDDI's extensive portfolio of collaborations across telecommunications, AI, and enterprise software.
Kaz Shimizu is Group Leader of KDDI Open Innovation Fund, a corporate VC fund managed by Japanese telecommunications firm KDDI in partnership with Global Brain. The fund, established in 2012, has invested approximately $275 million in 151 startups across AI, IoT, data marketing, fintech, enterprise software, and deep tech. Shimizu oversees Japan market entry for international investment projects while supporting Japanese startups in global expansion, and leads KDDI Mugen Labo, a business co-creation accelerator program associated with 101 Japanese enterprises.
Pitch to Corporate: Italian Deep-Tech Startups
16:30–18:00
Six Italian startups present 15-minute pitches (including Q&A) directly to corporate innovation teams, highlighting specific collaboration opportunities, pilot pathways, and strategic value propositions for Japanese enterprises.
16:30–16:45 | Certy — Human-Centric Cybersecurity Infrastructure
Certy Expert is an AI-driven virtual cybersecurity specialist that empowers employees to identify threats and maintain security protocols without requiring technical expertise. Featuring privacy-by-design architecture and a patent-pending local data-masking system, the platform provides real-time threat analysis, phishing simulations, targeted micro-training, and automated compliance reporting.
Corporate Opportunity: Strengthen security culture and infrastructure through workforce enablement rather than purely technical controls.
16:45–17:00 | Genuino — Digital Product Passports for Circular Economy Compliance
Genuino delivers a comprehensive Digital Product Passport (DPP) platform aligned with new EU ESPR regulations. Utilizing patented NFC/RFID authentication integrated with blockchain technology, the system provides brands with item-level traceability, sustainability documentation, anti-counterfeiting protection, and enhanced consumer engagement channels.
Corporate Opportunity: Prepare for EU regulatory compliance while creating transparent, verifiable lifecycle management for products exported to Europe.
17:00–17:15 | Icarus — AI-Powered Patient Management
Icarus has developed "Jenny," an AI assistant currently supporting over 10,000 patients across Italian medical facilities. Jenny autonomously manages clinic communications, structures patient information, processes prescription requests, and generates comprehensive digital summaries—significantly reducing administrative burden and patient wait times.
Corporate Opportunity: Address Japan's aging demographics and healthcare efficiency challenges through scalable, compliant automation for clinics and hospitals.
17:15–17:30 | Livegreen — Industrial-Scale Carbon Capture Through Microalgae
With over 25 years of specialized expertise, Livegreen engineers high-efficiency photobioreactor systems that capture CO₂ and transform industrial emissions and wastewater nutrients into valuable microalgae biomass for food, feed, nutraceuticals, and biotechnology applications. Their closed-loop systems absorb up to 15× more CO₂ per land unit than conventional forestry.
Corporate Opportunity: Reduce emissions while generating new revenue streams through industrial carbon capture and biomass production.
17:30–17:45 | Rombo AI — Intelligent Spectroscopy Solutions
Rombo AI is revolutionizing chemical analysis through Spectra AI, a conversational platform that transforms raw spectroscopy data into structured, actionable insights within seconds. Built on advanced machine learning and chemometrics—with two patents pending—the system replaces complex analytical workflows with natural-language interfaces, targeting pharmaceuticals, food production, oil & gas, polymers, and environmental monitoring.
Corporate Opportunity: Accelerate R&D cycles and enhance accuracy across chemical analysis operations, scaling from laboratory instruments to industrial sensor networks.
17:45–18:00 | Pezzoli Green — Controlled-Environment Agriculture & Functional Botanicals
Pezzoli Green specializes in engineering solutions for vertical farming and controlled-environment agriculture. The company aims to co-develop functional foods, nutraceuticals, and cosmetic products; establish cultivation and extraction processes; and supply premium botanicals, including Centella asiatica.
Corporate Opportunity: Partner on functional ingredients, sustainable urban agriculture, and high-value botanical cultivation for cosmetics and nutraceuticals markets.
Closing Remarks
18:00–18:15
Italian Trade Agency (ITA) & Tokyo AI (TAI)
Reflections on three days of Italy-Japan innovation exchange, key takeaways from corporate-startup dialogue, and frameworks for continued collaboration between European deep-tech ventures and Japanese enterprises.
Networking Reception & Dinner Buffet
18:30–20:00
Final networking opportunity for corporate innovation teams, startup founders, investors, ecosystem partners, and participants from across the three-day program to explore partnership opportunities and continue conversations over dinner.